Many vehicles have a transmission neutralizing apparatus for locking the transmission shift control in the neutral position. Some examples of such transmission locking devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,120 which issued on Nov. 25, 1969 to L. W. Lenzen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,588 which issued on Aug. 11, 1970 to N. F. Bradshaw; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,020 which issued May 14, 1974 to R. W. Johnson et al.
Such apparatus commonly have the capability of mechanically shifting the transmission shift control to the neutral position from any of the operating positions when the apparatus is manipulated to the lock position. Those apparatus are commonly positioned within an open area of the vehicle and have at least one of the movable elements extending through a slot in a case in which the apparatus is mounted.
Although such apparatus effectively move and lock the transmission shift control in the neutral position, one of the problems encountered therewith is that owing to their particular construction they cannot be readily adapted to a sealed environment. With the elements open to the environment, dust and grit can filtrate into the moving elements. In transmission shift control arrangements which have a push-pull cable connecting the transmission shift control to the transmission, the pushpull cables have a tendency to stick when the slide cable becomes contaminated with dirt or grit. Sticking of the slide cable makes the transmission shift control difficult to shift and might possibly cause the transmission to stick and be maintained in a drive position.